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Home to Chicory Lane
Home to Chicory Lane
Home to Chicory Lane
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Home to Chicory Lane

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Audrey Whitman's dreams are coming true. Now that their five kids are grown, she and her husband, Grant, are turning their beloved family home into a cozy bed and breakfast just a mile outside of Langhorne, Missouri. Opening weekend makes Audrey anxious, with family and friends coming from all over to help celebrate the occasion. But when Audrey's daughter, Landyn, arrives, the U-Haul she's pulling makes it clear she's not just here for a few days. Audrey immediately has questions. What happened in New York that sent Landyn running home? Where was Landyn's husband, Chase? And what else was her daughter not telling her? One thing was for sure, the Chicory Inn was off to a rocky start. Can Audrey still realize her dream and at the same time provide the comfort of home her daughter so desperately needs?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 19, 2014
ISBN9781682998151
Author

Deborah Raney

Deborah Raney’s first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and launched her writing career after twenty happy years as a stay-at-home mom. Deb now has more than two dozen published novels. She and her husband, Ken Raney, recently traded small-town life––the setting of many of Deb's novels––for life in the (relatively) big city of Wichita, Kansas. They love traveling to visit four children and five small grandchildren who all live much too far away. Visit Deb on the web at www.deborahraney.com. Twitter: @authordebraney

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Rating: 4.071428571428571 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Empty nesters Audrey and Grant Whitman have raised their five children in a stately home just a mile outside of Langhorne, Missouri. Each book in the Chicory Inn Series will focus on one of their children – the first being Landyn Whitman Spencer, the baby of the family. This heartwarming story begins with the excitement and tension of opening weekend of the Chicory Inn. It was Audrey’s dream of renovating the home built by her grandparents over a hundred years ago into a bed and breakfast. Her husband Grant, now retired, had been a bit averse to sinking most of his retirement into the project, but did so without grumbling much… because after all….Audrey had grown up in this house…and he lovingly gave Audrey her way.The Inn was completely filled by reservations and Audrey was having opening day jitters. It did not help that Corrine arrived toting fussy baby Simone. Simone was teething, and Corrine did not want daddy Jesse to deal with that. Corrine cut in that her dad could watch Simone if need be. Her excuse was irritating to Audrey and she pushed down her resentment, even when Simone wiped her nose on Audrey’s apple green jacket and Corrine laughed saying “Well, at least it matches. “ Corrine then dabbed Simone’s nose with a tissue which made her screech like a banshee – causing the dog Huckleberry to come running and barking. Deborah Raney’s prose is transparent and humorous initiating my attention to be held captive from the first page.Little do Audrey and Grant suspect their stress level has only begun. Daughter Landyn Whitman Chase is pulling a U-Haul trailer from New York City arriving home at an ill-timed moment with no explanation. She does have valid reason – to herself anyway – as to why she has come home. Landyn and Chase have been married a mere six months and Chase made a rash decision – without discussing it with her – no less. He had let their apartment on the Upper West Side be sublet, rented a fleabag studio apartment in Brooklyn because God was leading him in this way to further his art career. This made no sense to Landyn…she had much to think about – including a bit of information she was withholding from Chase. I had better stop right here and let you read the story for yourself. Deborah Raney’s plot was well rounded with heartaches to joys. I could identify easily with Audrey as a mother. As I read through the book I could relate to each side of conflicts. If you are ready to laugh and cry, then read this lovely story about family life based on Godly principles. Ms. Raney writes realistic drama with deep feeling and wisdom. This is the first book by Deborah Raney I have read…and it will not be the last. I don’t want to hurry a great writer….she needs time to develop her stories with aplomb and eloquence. I will be patient and wait…keeping my ears and eyes open for the next novel about the Whitman family. Who will be in trouble next?"I received this book from Litfuse for free in exchange for an honest review."
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Deborah Raney is a favorite author of mine. I love her writing style as well as the realistic characters she creates. Real life circumstances bring out the best and worst in her characters just as it does in us. But her overall faith message gives the situations and the reader hope. You will find all of that in the first book in a new series, Home to Chicory Lane.An empty-nester, Audrey Whitman has just achieved her dream of turning her family home into a bed and breakfast inn. She and her husband, Grant, have sacrificed to come to this point, and she is worried about failure. The shiny wears off the dream quickly as she deals with fussy guests and the return of youngest daughter Landyn. Newlywed Landyn is hurt by her husband’s decisions that bypassed her. So when she shows up unexpectedly at the inn, her future seems very uncertain.Home to Chicory Lane is a family drama. The large Whitman family is featured here and in future books in the series. Being an empty-nester myself, I enjoyed the interaction between Audrey and her husband as well as the struggle of parenting adult children. Audrey is in transition, balancing the support of an adult child with allowing personal choice and freedom. Landyn’s character is extremely annoying at first. Her immaturity really grated on my nerves. But at the end of the book, she has really grown. Raney also explores the importance of hopes and dreams in relation to God’s will and purposes. Some of God’s direction just doesn’t make sense, but we need to trust that He is in control.Overall, I liked Home to Chicory Lane. It was a bit slow in places, but towards the end I was turning the pages as fast as I could. I also want to know more about the other children in the Whitman family, so I am eagerly awaiting book 2.RecommendedAudience: Adults(Thanks to Abingdon and LitFuse for my review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A special thank you to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

    HOME TO CHICORY LANE (Chicory Inn #1) By Deborah Raney, is a heartwarming novel of home, family dynamics, relationships, and self-discovery.

    Audrey and her husband have finally raised their five children, and are opening a bed and breakfast in Langhorne, Missouri—renovating their long time family home and converting it to a business for their retirement.

    However, the bed and breakfast inn business is not as simple as Audrey thought. In addition, she is the one wanting the business and pretty much has forced her husband into the role (they use the retirement money as he has been in the construction business), and the children are not so keen on their family home being occupied by guests.

    Taking front and center over the B&B business at hand, is the return of their youngest daughter, Laundry. Laundry (a marketing executive) –only being married for six months to her artist husband, Chase residing in New York. There is trouble in paradise and she is returning home for help.

    When Laundry shows up unannounced with Uhaul on the day of the open house, Audrey’s perfect world and her open house tour is disrupted. Chase and Laundry have not communicated their feelings to one another, as Chase has grown up with really no family, and no role models. Laundry on the other hand is pretty much spoiled, and wants things her way. (She has much in common with her mother, Audrey who seems very controlling and impulsive, not always looking at the big picture)

    A starving artist, Chase struggles with doing what he loves; however, at the same time, this family expects him to offer financial security for his family.

    I am probably not the best judge of this book, since I have been working with B&B and hotel owners for the last 25 years, with their marketing strategy and how to operate a successful inn. I have seen it all, successes and failures. Of course, this book is fiction, so cannot be too critical.

    Sounds like this couple had no business plan, as no mention of website, property management system, reservation system, marketing plan, competitive analysis, revenue management, etc. There is much more to running a B&B business than laundry and cooking, so was a little unrealistic to have her daughter help with the marketing after the fact (not before).

    Besides the business of the inn, the novel offers a nice takeaway and lessons for us all, as sometimes God takes us through rough times and puts people in our lives or path for a season or reason. Our struggles may not make sense at the time, or apparent until a later time, when it becomes clear and all the pieces fit together. God always is much bigger than us.

    Not a lot of likable warm characters you can connect with on an intimate level, except Chase. Seems everyone was forced into being a certain way and nosing into everyone's business, with no humor. I connected with Chase, as know how important it is to follow your dreams and talent, and sympathized with his character.

    A light Christian read about family dynamics and relationships. Was hoping for a little more from the B&B (the renovations, challenges, guests, etc.), and less from the daughter and son; however, I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

    Fans of Sherryl Woods, Debbie Macomber, or Mariah Stewart may enjoy the light read; however, for readers looking for more complex B&B read, would recommend Lin Stepp’s Down By the River, and Donna Ball’s The Hummingbird House and Lady Bug Farm Series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Now that Audrey and Grant Whitman's children are grown and living on their own, they decide to turn their house into a Bed and Breakfast. This is mostly Audrey’s dream but the two learned long ago that marriage is made of compromise and letting each other follow their dreams. Unfortunately, their youngest daughter Landyn has yet to learn these lessons and when her husband Chase makes a major decision without consulting her she begins to wonder if her short marriage will survive. Can LandYn and Chase learn to communicate with each other before it is too late?“Home to Chicory Lane” is the first book in Deborah Raney’s new “Chicory Inn” series and serves as a nice introduction to Audrey, Grant, their children their triumphs and their heartaches. While Audrey, Grant, and the Inn are the heart and soul of this series, the focus of this book is on Landyn and Chase. I have mixed feelings about these two characters - at times I felt sorry for them (their money issues are all too real and an unexpected surprise makes those issues even worse) and at other times I wanted to shake them (the decision that Chase makes without consulting Landyn is almost unforgivable but her reaction is as childish as his action) - these two have serious communication issues. Halfway through the book I still wasn't sure if I liked these two characters but by the end of the book, as they matured, I started to like them more and more. Since this is a Christian romance, there is plenty of talk about listening to what God wants, which may not be everyone's cup of tea - more than once I wished the characters would to talk to each other about what they wanted and not what God wanted (I’m pretty sure God would want them to be happy).“Home to Chicory Lane” is the first book I've read by Deborah Raney but it won't be my last - I want to know what happens next to the Whitman family.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Home to Chicory Lane: A Chicory Inn Novel | Book 1 This is a great first book to start this series off. Grant & Audrey have remodeled their old family home into a beautiful Inn. Which I can relate because I always wanted to own a Bed & Breakfast. But when Audrey's daughter, Landyn, arrives, the U-Haul she's pulling makes it clear she's not just here for a few days. Audrey immediately has questions. What happened in New York that sent Landyn running home? Where was Landyn's husband, Chase? And what else was her daughter not telling her? I love family tales with a purpose and great story line. Some of the characters are not all that described but I think maybe the Author did this on purpose for the series. Great starter book for beginner's.

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Home to Chicory Lane - Deborah Raney

Endorsements

Praise for Home to Chicory Lane

Deborah Raney has once again painted a vivid portrait of our own humanity using characters readers will love and identify with, no matter what their stage of life. I fell in love with the Chicory Inn and the Whitman family. Tender, touching, and filled with a unique patchwork of personalities, Landyn and Chase’s story made me feel like a part of the family. Raney wraps her beautifully flawed characters in the unconditional love of a God who will never leave them—or us. I’m already anticipating the next book in the series!

—Courtney Walsh, New York Times bestselling author of A Sweethaven Summer

"Deborah Raney is the queen of small town, hope-inspired fiction, and Home to Chicory Lane has everything you’ve come to expect from her award-winning novels—and more. Raney captures all the nuances of today’s family and delivers it up with signature warmth and humor. Book your reservation for Chicory Lane. You won’t be disappointed!"

—Tamera Alexander, USA Today bestselling author of A Beauty So Rare and To Whisper Her Name

"Once again, Deborah Raney has succeeded in creating a heartwarming story that doesn’t skimp on the realism of life—joys and jolts, challenges faced bravely and others regrettably. Within the first few pages of Home to Chicory Lane, the Whitmans, their children, and the community around them will feel like family—angst and all."

—Cynthia Ruchti, award-winning author of When the Morning Glory Blooms and All My Belongings

"Home to Chicory Lane is a compelling story that will draw you in and make you care about the main characters, even when you want to throttle them, and then sit them both down and have a serious talk. Not that they’d listen. Both Chase and Landyn are hardheaded, selfish, and need to grow up—for more reasons than one. Don’t miss Home to Chicory Lane for a compelling read that will make you thankful for home and family."

—Laura V. Hilton, author of A White Christmas in Webster County

"Deborah Raney’s Home to Chicory Lane is her best novel yet, with characters you wish lived on your street. The Whitman family will quickly find a home in readers’ hearts, and Grant Whitman is the best male point of view I’ve read in a novel. Home to Chicory Lane has earned a spot on my All Time Favorites list and my Top Ten for 2014. Novel Rocket and I give it our highest recommendation. It’s a 5-star read, and I can’t wait for the next book in this series."

—Ane Mulligan, president, Novel Rocket

Other books by Author

Other books by Deborah Raney

Because of the Rain

A January Bride

Silver Bells

The Face of the Earth

The Hanover Falls Novels

Almost Forever

Forever After

After All

The Clayburn Novels

Remember to Forget

Leaving November

Yesterday’s Embers

Title

Home to Chicory Lane

A Chicory Inn Novel

Deborah Raney

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Nashville

Copyright

Home to Chicory Lane

Copyright © 2014 by Deborah Raney

ISBN-13: 978-1-68299-815-1

Published by Abingdon Press, P.O. Box 801, Nashville, TN 37202

www.abingdonpress.com

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, posted on any website, or transmitted in any form or by any means—digital, electronic, scanning, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations in printed reviews and articles.

The persons and events portrayed in this work of fiction are the creations of the author, and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Macro Editor: Jamie Chavez

Published in association with the Steve Laube Literary Agency

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Raney, Deborah.

Home to Chicory Lane : a Chicory Inn novel / Deborah Raney.

1 online resource. — (A Chicory Inn Novel ; #1)

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN 978-1-4267-9607-4 (epub) — ISBN 978-1-4267-6969-6 (binding: soft back, pbk. adhesive : alk. paper) 1. Bed and breakfast accommodations—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3568.A562

813'.54—dc23

2014016960

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

For my wise and wonderful parents,

Max and Winnie Teeter,

who’ve given all of their children

such a wonderful heritage of faith.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

As I begin another new series, I’m all the more aware that no book ever comes into being by one person’s efforts. It would take an entire volume to thank all those who ultimately made this new story possible, but let me name just a few to whom I’m especially beholden for this novel:

Ken Raney, my favorite person in the whole wide world, with whom I’ve enjoyed the last four decades of life––each year more than the one before. I love you, babe! Let’s see if we can do like your grandparents and spend eighty-two years together! We’re almost halfway there!

Courtney Walsh, creative and amazing friend, whose casual comment, You have so many neat family stories. You should write a book about a big extended family! got these characters swirling in my imagination. It never would have happened without our fun conversation that night, Courtney!

Tamera Alexander, critique partner of more than a decade now (we’re gettin’ old, friend!) but so much more than a business friend. Thank you for your constant encouragement and for walking this mostly fun but often frustrating path beside me.

Steve Laube, agent extraordinaire, thank you for a dozen years now of wisdom, guidance, psychological insight (aka talking me down from the ledge when necessary), and always that great wit that makes hard times easier and good times gooder.

Ramona Richards, Jamie Chavez, Susan Cornell, and the rest of the crew at Abingdon Fiction, thank you for your expertise and insight in seeing the diamond in the rough this book was before you got your talented hands on it.

To my parents and kids, grandkids, in-laws, outlaws, dear friends, and kind acquaintances: you each enrich my days more than you will ever know. Thank you for everything you pour into me and squeeze out of me. I am rich in so many ways because you are in my life.

Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Group Discussion Guide

Want to Know More About Author?

Bonus Chapter from Two Roads Home

Chapter 1

1

So, Mrs. Whitman, is everything ready?" Grant stood under the archway dividing the formal dining room from the parlor, smiling that cat-that-swallowed-the-canary grin Audrey adored. And had for nearly thirty-five years.

She went to lean on the column opposite him. She loved this view of the house—no, the inn. She must remember to refer to it as such. This wonderful house where they’d raised their five kids and where she’d played as a little girl had finally become The Chicory Inn. The stately home just a mile outside of Langhorne, Missouri, had been built by her maternal grandparents on a wooded fifty acres with a clearwater creek running through it. Now it was her fifty-five hundred square-foot dream fulfilled. Or at least that was the plan.

Audrey gave her husband a tight smile. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I just know I’m forgetting something.

Come here. He opened his arms to her.

She stepped into his embrace, desperately needing the strength of him.

Everything looks wonderful, and anything you forgot can’t be too important. Just look at the weather God supplied—sunshine, cool October breeze, and the trees are at their autumn peak. Even the chicory is still in bloom in the ditches. Made to order, I’d say.

She nodded, feeling as if she might burst into tears any minute.

Grant pulled her closer. Can’t you just enjoy this weekend? It’s no fun if you’re in knots the whole time.

Were we crazy to invite the kids home for this?

He kissed the top of her head. "We were crazy to have kids, never mind five of them. But hey, look how that turned out."

I wish your mom could’ve been here.

He cleared his throat. Trust me, it’s better this way. Besides, you know she’ll find a way to get in her two cents, even from the wilds of Oregon. What do you want to bet she’ll call, just as guests are arriving, to make sure you didn’t forget anything?

She loved Grant’s mother dearly, but the woman did have a way of trying to run the show—even when it wasn’t her show to run. Grant was probably right. Cecelia—or CeeCee, as the kids called their grandmother—had timed her trip to visit Grant’s brother perfectly.

Audrey’s cell phone chimed, signaling a text message.

See? Grant gave her an I-told-you-so grin. There she is.

She checked her phone. Your mother barely knows how to make a call on a cell phone, let alone send a text. Oh, it’s Link. He’s running late. She texted a quick reply to their son.

Link late? Well, there’s a huge surprise.

She laughed, grateful for the distraction. Their son was notoriously tardy. But after she put her phone back in her pocket, Audrey turned serious. Oh, Grant . . . What if this whole thing is a big fat flop?

And why, sweet woman, would it be a flop, when you’ve poured your heart and soul and passion into it for the last eight months?

And most of your retirement funds, don’t forget. The thought made her positively queasy. It wasn’t as if he could just return to his contractor job tomorrow and get back his 401K. Not to mention a lot of sweat equity.

And don’t forget the blood and tears. He winked.

"And your blood pressure, she said with a look of warning. How can you joke about this, Grant? What if we—"

Shh. He tipped her chin and silenced her with a kiss.

She knew Grant had been relieved to get out of the rat race his job had become. In fact, his doctor had prescribed retirement along with the blood pressure meds he’d put Grant on last fall. The past year of renovations had been anything but relaxing, but things would settle down now that the remodel was finished. Maybe this was all a sort of blessing in disguise. She let that thought soothe her. For the moment anyway.

The doorbell rang.

That’ll be Corinne. She pushed away from him. She promised to help me with the hors d’oeuvres.

I don’t see why we couldn’t just have chips and salsa or pretzels or—

And don’t forget your tie. Audrey scooped the despised noose, as Grant had dubbed it, off the end of the hall tree and tossed it at him.

He caught it and dangled it by two fingers as if it were a poisonous snake. You’re not really serious about that?

Serious as a heart attack.

Grant’s grumbling faded behind her as she hurried to answer the door.

Their eldest daughter stood on the wraparound veranda with almost-two-year-old Simone propped on one hip.

Corinne? Audrey sagged. I thought Jesse was going to watch the kids?

He is, but I think Simone’s cutting teeth, and I didn’t want Jesse to have to deal with that, too. You know how he gets when— Corinne stopped mid-sentence and eyed her mother. It’ll be fine, Mom. Dad can watch Simone if we need him to.

"No, your dad has a whole list of things he’s in charge of. I need him. She pushed down the resentment that threatened. Never mind. You’re right . . . it’ll be fine." She reached for her youngest granddaughter and ushered Corinne into the foyer.

Corinne walked through to the parlor, her eyes widening. Wow! It looks gorgeous, Mom. You’ve been busy.

I just want everything to be perfect. Just this one time. She didn’t have to look at her daughter to know Corinne was rolling her eyes.

Just this once, huh?

She ignored the sarcasm and tweaked little Simone’s cheek. Are those new toofers giving you trouble, sweetie?

The baby gave her a snaggletoothed grin and wiped her turned-up nose on the shoulder of Audrey’s apple green linen jacket.

Simone! Corinne’s shrug didn’t match the grimace she gave Audrey. Well, at least it matches.

Audrey did not find that amusing.

Corinne swooped in with a tissue, which made Simone screech like a banshee. Which made Huckleberry come running, barking as if he’d just cornered a squirrel.

Great. Just great. Can somebody please take this dog outside? How did he even get in here? Audrey hated raising her voice to her family, but she knew too well that the playful Lab could undo in two minutes everything they’d spent a week preparing. I want him outside until the last guest leaves.

Come here, Huck, Corinne coaxed, stroking the sleek chocolate-colored coat. You bad boy.

It’s okay. I’ll take him out. Audrey handed the baby off to Corinne, put Huck outside, and came back to the sink. Grabbing a damp dishcloth from the basin, she scrubbed at her jacket, exchanging the toddler’s snot stain for a dark wet spot. She prayed it would dry before the first guests started arriving.

The clock in the foyer struck eleven, and a frisson of panic went through her. They had less than two hours and so much still to do. She heard Link’s voice at the front door. Maybe she could enlist him to watch Simone for a few minutes. Like his brother Tim, Link had always had a way with kids.

Hey, Mom. Dad said to report in. Tall and rugged-looking like his father, Link appeared beneath the arch of the kitchen doorway. Smells good in here. He gave Audrey a quick hug before snatching a bacon-wrapped canapé from a silver tray. He popped it in his mouth before Audrey could protest.

She placed herself between her son and the gleaming marble counter full of food. There are snacks out in the garage for you kids, but I’m not joking; this stuff is off limits until we see how many people show.

Got it, Mom. Off limits. In one smooth motion, Link gave her a half-salute and reached behind her for a sausage ball.

Cut that out! Shoo! Out of my kitchen!

Place looks good, Ma.

Grant appeared in the doorway. Reporting for duty.

Link shot his dad a conspiratorial grin but obediently backed into the entryway. Audrey wondered for the thousandth time why some sweet young girl hadn’t snapped up this handsome son of hers. But that was a worry for another day.

Hey guys, Audrey said, can you bring in some folding chairs from the garage? Maybe just half a dozen or so. I don’t want to set up more than we need.

You’ll need more than six. Grant sounded so sure the day would be a success. Bring a dozen, Link.

She hoped he was right. But if not . . . Well, there would be no problem getting rid of all the food she’d made. The good ol’ Whitman family reunion they’d planned for the rest of the weekend would take care of that. The thought brought a pang of longing with it. It was wonderful to have most of her family together, but it wouldn’t be the same without Landyn and Chase.

And Tim. Nothing would ever be the same without Timothy.

* * *

Landyn Spencer craned her neck to check the Interstate traffic behind her in the rearview mirror, but all she could see was the U-Haul trailer she was pulling. The extended mirrors on the behemoth were smeared with a dozen hours of rain and dust.

New York was thirteen hours behind her, and with the sun finally coming up, she realized she was in familiar territory.

She’d left the city after ten last night, starting out on only four hours of sleep. She’d been watching the lit-up Empire State Building fade into the skyline in her rearview mirror, and not until she’d passed through the Lincoln Tunnel and come out on the New Jersey side had she finally allowed herself tears.

That was a mistake. She’d been crying ever since. But enough. She had to get hold of herself before she got home. She swiped at damp cheeks, took a deep breath, and steadied her gaze on the road in front of her. If her eyes got any more swollen, she’d have to pull the Honda over. And if she did that, chances were good the stupid thing wouldn’t start again. Then she’d really be up the Hudson without a paddle. Besides, right now, she just wanted to put the past—and Chase Spencer—as far behind her as she could.

She still couldn’t believe that her husband of six months had gone so far off the deep end. Without even discussing it with her, he’d let their great, albeit small, apartment on the Upper West Side go—sublet their home to a stranger—and rented a fleabag excuse for a studio apartment in Brooklyn. What was he thinking?

He wasn’t. That was the problem. He’d let his art rep convince him that living in Bedford-Stuyvesant near some stupid gallery that was supposedly the next hot thing would jumpstart his career. The agent had told Chase the studio would pay for itself in a matter of months—and probably herald in world peace too.

Well, fine. Chase had made his choice. But they were newlyweds. She should have been his choice. Oh, he claimed he wasn’t forcing her hand. But if she did what he wanted and followed him to Brooklyn, it meant an almost two-hour commute for her every day. They saw each other little enough as it was! Had he thought any of this through? No, he had not. And despite what Chase said, leaving Fineman and Justus, and a marketing position she loved, didn’t leave her with many options. Especially not now . . .

The tears started again and she shook her head. She couldn’t even let herself think about that right now.

She attempted to distract her maudlin thoughts with the stunning colors October had painted on either side of the Interstate. She thought she’d crossed over into Kentucky, though she didn’t remember seeing a sign. If Chase were here, he’d no doubt be sketching the trees or shooting photos in a vain attempt to capture the vivid colors. Then he’d complain that the pictures didn’t even come close, and she’d have to—

A horn blared behind her. She checked the mirror and then the speedometer. She was barely going fifty in the left-hand lane. Stupid cruise control had quit working again. Heart pounding, she accelerated and tried to whip back into the right lane only to have the trailer tug her over the line into the passing lane. She finally managed to maneuver to the proper lane, and she glared hard at the driver as he passed her.

It was a stupid, childish thing to do. She was the one in the wrong. But the guy had almost scared her into having a wreck. It would serve Chase right if she had an accident. She quickly checked the thought. He wasn’t the only one she had to think about. Mom and Dad had already lost one child. Her throat tightened at the thought of her brother. If they had to go through that again, she wasn’t sure they’d ever recover. Besides, Mom and Dad didn’t know she was on her way home. If she had a wreck, no one would know why she was on a road all alone, miles from New York.

It did make her smile to think about what her parents’ reaction would be when she pulled into the driveway. She hadn’t seen Mom and Dad since her wedding in April, and it would be fun to surprise them. Suddenly she missed them the way she had that first summer she’d gone away to church camp and learned the meaning of homesick.

But how could she tell them she was leaving Chase? After only six months of marriage. She could hear her dad now. Landyn Rebekah Whitman, he’d say (somehow forgetting she was now a Spencer), you get in that car and you drive yourself right back to New York. He’d be mad at Chase, too, but she’d be the one who’d get the talking-to.

Well, they didn’t know the details. And they wouldn’t. Chase had fought hard to win her parents over, and she wasn’t going to make him out to be the bad guy now—even though he was. One hundred percent, he was. It still made her furious.

No . . . worse than that. It broke her heart.

She was beginning to understand why her parents had been skeptical about Chase in the first place. He was letting this . . . delusion of getting rich and famous selling his art sidetrack him. Not that he wasn’t good. He was. He had a ton of talent, but that didn’t mean he could make a living at it. And their finances didn’t exactly allow for risky investments right now.

Chase had landed a job in New York right out of college, working in the art department for a small local magazine. It was a job that used his art skills, and one with room to grow.

But then this nut job art rep had seen Chase’s work and gotten him all wired with delusions of grandeur. In a way, she understood. Chase hadn’t received much encouragement growing up. His dad left when he was five, and he’d been raised by a single mom who seemed to have a new boyfriend every other week. The minute Chase graduated high school, Mona Spencer had followed some guy out to California. She’d come back for their wedding on the arm of yet another flavor of the week, but Landyn didn’t expect to see her again unless she and Chase took the initiative to make a trip out West someday.

Still, despite his rough childhood, and a couple of wild years in high school, Chase had defied the odds and turned into a good guy. A really good guy. Their youth pastor from Langhorne Community Fellowship took Chase under his wing, and by the time Landyn was old enough to date, he was toeing a pretty straight line. Well, except for that tattoo. Dad had come completely unglued when he heard Chase had gotten inked. She’d finally calmed him down by explaining that Chase’s Celtic cross—on his collarbone, so it was hidden under most of his shirts—was a symbol of his faith and of the permanence of God’s love for him. Landyn had always loved her husband’s tat—one he’d designed himself. She’d even toyed with the idea of getting one to match. But so far the fear of her father’s reaction and the lack of cash had prevented her—not to mention the disturbing image of herself as a grandma with a shriveled tat on her chest.

After Chase proposed, Mom and Dad insisted they go to counseling before getting married—more intensive than the required premarital counseling—with Pastor Simmons. And though she’d balked big-time at the suggestion, Chase had been willing. And when their sessions were over, she was certain Chase Spencer was ready to be the husband of her dreams—even if her parents weren’t convinced.

Maybe she should have listened to them.

Because now he’d quit his job and all but forced her to quit hers. Forced her to run home to Missouri. Except she didn’t have a home in Missouri anymore either. Her parents had turned their house into a bed-and-breakfast, and her room was now a guest room at the Chicory Inn. Real original, Mom. From what her sisters said—and from the photos Mom had e-mailed her of the finished renovation—Landyn wouldn’t even recognize the place.

Sometime this

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